Lygia Pape

Lygia Pape (Nova Friburgo, RJ, 1927 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 2004)
Lygia Pape was a multidisciplinary artist who explored sculpture, printmaking, cinema, and various other forms of artistic expression. She began her studies under Fayga Ostrower at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro (MAM/RJ). Pape became involved with concretism and, in 1957, signed the Neoconcrete Manifesto after her participation in the Grupo Frente. In 1958, she collaborated with poet Reynaldo Jardim to create Ballet Neoconcreto I, presented at Teatro Copacabana. Two years later, she participated in Konkrete Kunst, an international exhibition of concrete art in Zurich.

During the 1950s, she began a trilogy of artist books, including Livro da Criação, Livro da Arquitetura, and Livro do Tempo. In the 1960s, she expanded her work into cinema, contributing as a screenwriter, editor, and director, while also designing visual elements for Cinema Novo films. During this period, she created wooden sculptures and developed the Livro-Poema, a piece combining woodcuts with concrete poetry.

In 1971, she directed the short film The Red Umbrella, inspired by Oswaldo Goeldi’s work. In the early 1980s, she moved to New York with a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, where she explored new artistic avenues. Her work is characterized by a fearless blending of mediums and formats, often incorporating the audience as active participants. Her projects align with the experimental nature of Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Clark, other prominent figures of Brazilian Neoconcretism.

Following Hélio Oiticica's death, Pape collaborated with Luciano Figueiredo and Waly Salomão to create the Hélio Oiticica Project, dedicated to preserving and promoting his legacy. In 1990, with the support of the Vitae Foundation, she developed Ttéias, a project exploring light and motion. In 2004, shortly before her passing, the Lygia Pape Cultural Association was established, envisioned by the artist and now directed by her daughter, Paula Pape.

Sources:
Photo: https://lygiapape.com/artista/
Text: Blombô research and curation, with the support of artificial intelligence for content writing and structuring.